Container with adjustable shelves



March 1, 1966 w, GQEBEL 3,238,004

CONTAINER WITH ADJUSTABLE SHELVES Filed Feb. 27, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Paul W. Goeb e/ INVENTOR.

March 1, 1966 P. w. GOEBEL 3,238,004

CONTAINER WITH ADJUSTABLE SHELVES Filed Feb. 27, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3 Fig-4 I0 .5 Kai? 28 f L A 28 28 g B 28 L30 f 30 l4 5 26 i u 26 Paul w. 60:91:5

i I N VEN TOR.

A 28 BY United States Patent 3,238,004 CONTAINER WITH ADJUSTABLE SHELVES Paul W. Goehel, RED. 2, Fairbury, Nebr. Filed Feb. 27, I964, Ser. No. 347,842 2 Claims. (Cl. 312330) The present invention relates to a portable handleequipped box-like container which is expressly, but not necessarily, functionally designed and structurally adapted to serve as a picnic box.

Briefly the invention has to do with a hollow box-like container the hollow portion of which constitutes a main compartment. The container is open on one side, the front for example, which thus provides a satisfactory entrance and exit opening. A suitable cover plate serves to close the entrance and exit opening and may be marginally attached and retained in place in any suitably practical manner. The container space or compartment serves to satisfactorily enclose a plurality of individual bodily insertable and removable shelves which are confined in stacked relationship in the main compartment. Each shelf embodies self-contained means for orienting, spacing and supporting the adjacent shelf thereon. All of the shelves are free of positive mechanical connection with any component part of the container. When the shelves are arranged in tier relationship each shelf constitutes a divider and transforms the main compartment into a plurality of individual smaller compartments.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the container comprises a simple sheet material rectangular box having top, bottom, opposed side walls and at least one end wall which joined together provide an unobstructed main compartment, the walls on the interior being free of projections. The removable wall is suitably flanged and constitutes the aforementioned cover. Several tray-like shelves are provided and stored in the container space. More explicitly a first open-ended traylike shelf rests atop the interior of the bottom wall and is provided with a flat bottom partitioning wall which in turn is provided with upstanding longitudinal side walls in opposed parallel relation. The upper edges of the side walls are provided with turned in coplanar horizontal reinforcing flanges. The upstanding side walls of the shelf have free sliding contact with the interior surfaces of the opposed side walls of the box or container. In addition there is a second tray-like complemental shelf which corresponds in construction with the first-named shelf and also a third correspondingly constructed shelf. The second shelf slides atop and is supported by the turned in flanges of the first shelf and the third shelf has its bottom supported on the turned-in flanges of the second shelf.

Assuming that the shelves are for all practical purposes three, four and five inches deep a combination of variable and changeable auxiliary compartments can be made to measure three, four and five inches, also five and seven inches and where desired three and nine inches and perhaps four and eight inches. This aspect of the concept is mentioned here to stress the convertible and versatile nature of the insertable removable and interchangeable tray-like shelves.

These together with other objects; and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a convertible multipurpose container constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention showing the shelves ice in place and with the front cover wall removed to show the structural and functional relationship;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on the plane of the section line 22 of FIG. 1 and which in addition shows, in phantom lines, how the selectively slidable tray-like shelves can be projected for use;

FIGURE 3 is a view in section and taken at right angles to FIG. 2, said view being taken on the plane of the section line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is a front end view with the cover removed and which shows how the two adjacent shelves can be assembled in cooperating relationship to transform the main compartment into two individual compartments;

FIGURE 5 is a view in perspective similar to FIG. I but with the cover removed and showing a rearrangement of the tray-like shelves and how they may be utilized to divide the space into a novel area; and

FIGURE 6 is a view which is in front end elevation and similar to FIG. 1 but which illustrates a further adaptable conversion or arrangement of the tray-like shelves; and

FIGURE 7 is a view in perspective showing the traylike construction used in each shelf.

Referring now to the views of the drawings the aforementioned rectangular sheet material box-like hollow container is denoted by the numeral 8. It is provided with a flat top wall 10 having an appropriately constructed and attached carrying handle or handgrip 12. The verti cal side walls are denoted at 14 and the back wall at 16. The side walls are provided at lower ends with turned in horizontal spaced parallel flanges 16 supporting the edge portions of an intervening bottom wall 18. These walls thus coordinated provide a main compartment or container space which is open at the front. The front wall 19 is complemental to the top, bottom and side walls and is provided with suitable marginal flanges 20 on three edge portions which flanges are laterally bent and are adapted to be fitted over the coacting wall-ends in the manner illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 2. If desired the flanges may be provided with indentations providing keepers 22 to accommodate the boss-like projections 24. Thus when the cover is fitted in place the detents 24 snap irito the keeper seats 22 and function to hold the cover in p ace.

The aforementioned several cooperating open-ended tray-like insertable and removable shelves are denoted Individually at A, B and C, respectively. The shelf A may be referred to as the first shelf, the shelf B as the second shelf and the shelf C as the third shelf. These shelves are basically the same in construction but as before suggested it is desirable that the shelves will be three, four and five inches deep, respectively. Accordingly and as will be evident by comparing the views of the drawings with each other and with these measure ments and construction a combination of compartments can be made three, four and five inches, five and seven inches, three and nine inches, and four and eight inches as will be evident.

Reverting to the construction of the shelves it will be seen that each shelf comprises a flat rigid bottom Wall or panel 26 having upstanding longitudinal opposed parallel side walls 28 which in turn are provided along their upper edges with horizontal turned-in coplanar rigidifying and supporting flanges 30.

As will be evident the shelves A, B, C are basically the same in construction but vary in depth and dimension and are normally stacked in tier relationship in the A, B, C sequence illustrated in FIG. 1. It follows that with this arrangement the several shelves transform the main compartment into several individual or auxiliary compart- U ments the lower one being of relatively small capacity, the top one of increased capacity and the second one of an intervening size and capacity. These shelves are cooperable with each other in that they support one another in stacked relationship. They have no interlocking or equivalent connection with the interior surfaces of the walls of the box or container 8. They are individual self-supporting by means of the side flanges equipped with the bent-in auxiliary ledge-like flanges 30.

It will be evident that the shelves A, B and C can be interchanged and converted to assume the relationship illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein two compartments of varying size are then available to the user. By the same token the shelves can be rearranged by turning the desired shelves upside down as shown in FIG. 5 whereupon the shelves A and B are bottom-to-bottom when stacked. Then, too, the shelves can be arranged with all three shelves turned upside down and slipped into the container in the compartmental relationship illustrated in FIG. 6. It is to be particularly noted that the component parts A, B and C are treated primarily as insertable and removable detached changeable space-dividing shelves. On the other hand and with reference to FIG. 7 it will be seen that each shelf is in effect of tray-like construction in that the forward and rearward ends are completely open and the walls 28 join the wall 26 to provide a receptacle or trough portion. It can be appreciated that with ordinary tray-like shelves having four walls, that is, side, front and rear walls the storage area would not be any greater because the front and back walls would not permit the user to provide himself with additional storage space as is attainable in the herein disclosed invention.

It is submitted that the description considered in conjunction with the views of the drawings will suffice to enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the component parts, how they are made and coordinated to achieve the novel orientation of variable space and shelf rearrangements desired. Accordingly, a more extended description is believed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a portable box-like hollow container embodying top, bottom, opposed side and at least one end wall joined together and providing an unobstructed main compartment, said container being open at one end and provided with an attachable and detachable cover for closing said one end, all of the interior surfaces of all of the walls of said container being free of internal obstructions, a first open-ended tray-like shelf resting atop the interior of the bottom wall and having upstanding longitudinal side Walls in opposed parallel relation with the upper edges thereof provided with turned in coplanar horizontal reinforcing flanges, said upstanding side walls having free sliding contact with interior surfaces of the r opposed side walls of said container, a second open-ended tray-like shelf having a bottom wall slidingly mounted atop and supported by the turned-in flanges of said first shelf and also having upstanding longitudinal side walls in opposed parallel relation and wherein the upper edges of said side walls are provided with turned-in coplanar horizontal reinforcing flanges, said upstanding side walls having free sliding contact with interior surfaces of the opposed walls of said container, and a third elongated tray-like shelf of a depth greater than the depth of the aforementioned shelves and embodying a bottom wall constituting the shelf proper and residing flatwise and slidingly atop the turned-in flanges on said second tray-like shelf, also having opposed spaced parallel vertical side walls joined to lengthwise edges of said shelf proper and having upper edges provided with coplanar horizontal turned-in reinforcing flanges.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein all of said shelves are open-ended, bodily insertable and removable, are of one piece sheet material construction and can be stacked atop each other in tier relationship and whenever necessary or desired can be bodily inserted and removed and turned upside down singly or collectively.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,094,397 4/1914 Abbath 312346 X 1,143,085 6/1915 Snyder 3l2351 1,267,388 5/1918 Dodson 3l2351 X 1,280,918 10/1918 Westbrook 22022 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A PORTABLE BOX-LIKE HOLLOW CONTAINER EMBODYING TOP, BOTTOM, OPPOSED SIDE AND AT LEAST ONE END WALL JOINED TOGETHER AND PROVIDING AN UNOBSTRUCTED MAIN COMPARTMENT, SAID CONTAINER BEING OPEN AT ONE END AND PROVIDED WITH AN ATTACHABLE AND DETACHABLE COVER FOR CLOSING SAID ONE END, ALL OF THE INTERIOR SURFACES OF ALL OF THE WALLS OF SAID CONTAINER BEING FREE OF INTERNAL OBSTRUCTIONS, A FIRST OPEN-ENDED TRAY-LIKE SHELF RESTING ATOP THE INTERIOR OF THE BOTTOM WALL AND HAVING UPSTANDING LONGITUDIANL SIDE WALLS IN OPPOSED PARALLEL RELATION WITH THE UPPER EDGES THEREOF PROVIDED WITH TURNED IN COPLANAR HORIZONTAL REINFORCING FLANGES, SAID UPSTANDING SIDE WALLS HAVING FREE SLIDING CONTACT WITH INTERIOR SURFACES OF THE OPPOSED SIDE WALLS OF SAID CONTAINER, A SECOND OPEN-ENDED TRAY-LIKE SHELF HAVING A BOTTOM WALL SLIDINGLY MOUNTED ATOP AND SUPPORTED BY THE TURNED-IN FLANGES OF SAID FIRST 